Best Thing You Ever Ate - Toronto

[PoppiYYZ]

Each city has some mind blasting, unforgettable, unimaginably good dishes like :

New York Levain's Chocolate Cookies and El Quinto's Uni Baguette,

San Francisco Sotto Mare's Cioppino, and

Montreal Pied de Cochon's Plogue A Champlain,

just to name a few.

But what is the most mind blowing thing you've ever eaten in TO ?

[Sonja_Blu]

Probably sweetbreads in a maple sauce at the Black Hoof a few years ago... I am still thinking about it!

Oh, I forgot about the venison tartar I had at a Charlie's Burger dinner earlier this year - it was absolutely phenomenal. The gnocci in brown butter at the same dinner was also fantastic, but the other dishes were hit and miss.

[Googs]

Not necessarily the best thing ever, but certainly the best of it's kind I've experienced is the boudin noir with celery root at Weezie's. Ethereal to the degree each bite made me close my eyes.

[non sequitur]

My "must haves" on every return to T.O. are:
Street vendor hot dog;
Costco poutine;
Butter tart (any bakery fine with me); and
Shawarma on Lawrence.

Shawarma is all over Europe, but rare in the US.
Hot dog carts aren't the same anywhere else.
And poutine and butter tarts are just pure canadiana.

The Costco poutine blows my mind because (1) so good and (2) can't believe a food court in a supermarket can get it so right.

(ps: the mind blower in NYC is hot chocolate from Jacques Torres - something like that would do so well here!)

[Herne]

Which Costco are you talking about??

[evansl]

I've never had "mind blowing" food in Toronto. But the grooviest would be the lamb tandoori at Cuisine of India circa 1998. It put my head in a really good place, man.

[justxpete]

Dining at David Duncan House and other restaurants of that caliber will certainly inhibit that from occurring.

[hungryabbey]

Red fife fry bread at Keriwa cafe.

[justxpete]

have you tried the deep fried variety? My god...

[hungryabbey]

Yep that's what I'm referring to (fry bread)

[justxpete]

oops - must have missed that word in my enthusiasm to post about it... had it for the first time about a month ago. Unbelievable. Here it is waiting in the corner of this grilled pork belly dish.. I had no idea at the time.

[Micrapol]

Ground Walnut crepes at Country Style Hungarian Restaurant
Eggplant Parm appetizer at Vibo

[TheDewster]

Palacinta Gundel thats the name of the crepes. served with chocolate rum sauce. The Hun used to make fabulous ones but its closed.

[juneplum]

Lobster Poutine @ Bymark
Softshell Crab Sandwich @ Porchetta & Co. *seasonally available
MezzaLuna pasta with Lemon-Maple-Butter @ Entoeca Sociale
Burrata Pizza @ Buca
...... and... drumroll......
the Coconut Cream Pie @ Scaramouche (can't believe this hasn't been mentioned?!?!)

www.justgoodstuff.ca

[TheDewster]

It has by many people

[TheDewster]

The coconut pie has been mentioned by many people, I hear there is a new pastry chef at Scaramouche so it may be gone.

[kingkolo]

The porchetta at Sausage King (in the St. Lawerence Market) is the new hero of Toronto. Go! GO NOW!! SERIOUSLY...GO!!!

[plasticanimal]

Chicken wings at the Wheat Sheaf.

[TheDewster]

Best thing I have had lately was a Bicerin expresso shot with dark chocolate with heavy cream at Soma on Saturday damn it was worth the $5.

[scarberian]

Is this the Soma in the Distillery?

[TorontoJo]

Yes, but there is also a location on King West now. Their bicerin is a thing of beauty.

[TheDewster]

It was on king west by Crush wine bar sadly it was closed. So Conviction is gone guess I won't get to try Thuet's food sad.

-----
Thuet
609 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V1M5, CA

[justsayn]

What are you saying is closed? SOMA on King is not closed. Conviction/Thuet closed many months ago.

[TheDewster]

Crush was closed at that time. Conviction is gone. SOMA was open great Bicerin. Read above ;)

[smudgebee]

Xoco Cava Croissant. So good.

[TheDewster]

Is that a place or something at Soma?

[TorontoJo]

Xoco Cava is the chocolate store right next to Cava. Yonge/St. Clair.

[KitchenVoodoo]

Are they dry and Crispy? or icky slippery?

[plasticanimal]

They're perfect Buffalo wings.

[MELCH]

The citrus donuts with cardamom shake at Pangea were perfection, had them a couple months ago and am still thinking/dreaming about them =) yum

[Bobby Wham]

Curry Crab at Saigon Star

[smudgebee]

Pad Kee Mao @ both Sukho Thai and Khao San Road (Thai Spicy)
Pho Tai @ Pho Dau Bo (in Streetsville)
Grouper Soup (Cha Ca) @ Hanoi 3 Seasons
Doubles at Carribean Bistro
Burger at Queen and Beaver (I know I am alone on this one)

I swear I like some high end dishes too, I just can't think of them now.

-----
Hanoi 3 Seasons
588 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M1Y3, CA

Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[smudgebee]

Oh I remember one now: as mentioned above: entire tasting menu at Zen!

[garfield]

yay for the doubles
now I am gonna try every item in your list :)

[smudgebee]

I have a new one. Tried the Khao Soi at Khao San Road last night. So very very good.

-----
Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[Charles Yu]

Never thought I would include a hot prepared dish from a supermarket! However the beer marinated B-B-Q veal short-ribs of Bayview Village Pusateri's is amongst the best in town!!. Off the bone tender and great smokey tasting B-B-Q sauce. IMO, better than a lot of the so called B-B-Q specialists products discussed on this board!

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Pusateri's
1539 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5M, CA

[hal2010]

I had the Bun Cha Muc - Calamari Patties with Dill Soup - at Hanoi 3 Seasons on Gerrard and it was one of the best noodle dishes I've ever had. Crispy, salty, deep fried calamari croquettes in a noodle soup full of lemon grass, dill and tomatoes. I just might have to go back there for lunch tomorrow!

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Hanoi 3 Seasons
588 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M1Y3, CA

[scarberian]

Not really where, but what was the best thing I ever ate in Toronto and I must admit it's gotta be lechon, (Filipino suckling pig). Of all the restaurants I've been to and all the different kinds of meals I've had from savoury to sweet, nothing makes me happier than some good lechon perfectly cooked. There's only 2 places that have done it right for me 1) I believe they were called Sun Brothers - I'm not sure if they're around anymore, but growing up and going to all those birthdays and especially baptisms back in the 70's and 80's, you'd see a whole suckling pig or half a pig begging to be carved. The skin was thin, crispy and golden brown with a beautiful sheen to it.

2) Bella's Lechon - It ain't exactly what the Sun Brothers were serving, but they do some excellent lechon. I usually order a pound of lechon for the family (and make sure you get some of their homemade lechon sauce!) and make sandwiches on chiabatta bread and include the crackling (ala Porchetta and Co. style) and sautéed rapini.

[autopi]

where is bella's lechon located?

[scarberian]

It's located just north of Morningside and Milner in Scarborough (major intersection is Morningside and 401). It's in a plaza on the northeast corner of Morningside and Milner (the only entrance is off of Morningside). You can't see it from the road, you'll have to enter the plaza and then you'll see it from the parking lot. The number listed in Google is wrong, the one below is actually from their sign.

Bella's Lechon
1139 Morningside,
Toronto, ON M1C1B9
416 282-3288

[Googs]

More info here and some of the funniest caption writing I've read in a long time.
http://bellaslechon.com/

[scarberian]

It's a family run business and it looks like the design of their site follows suit. However I do enjoy their lechon. It's a small resto with only a couple of tables for customers. Most come for take out. As I said before I've only had their lechon and Filipino bbq (skewers). Both, IMO were well made. In the staff photo, I've only really seen the two guys working there all the time. The women help from time to time especially at Christmas. Were you referring to the caption regarding "remittance"? This seems to be a popular thing in the Filipino community (sending money back "home") and if you pick up a local Filipino newspaper you'll see many ads regarding money transfers/delivery.

[Googs]

No, some of the descriptions of the dishes. They're accidentally funny which, of course, makes them funnier.

[foodyDudey]

Are you refering to the third item on the second line of this page? http://bellaslechon.com/index.php?r=c...

Sinigang na Bangus :-)

[ctl98]

Ooohhh, haven't tried Bella's yet! Is the lechon per pound available every day?

[scarberian]

Available every day, but some days they sell out by 3 pm. $9.99 + tax per pound. They also sell prepared dishes in steam trays like sisig (weekends only), adobo baboy, pancit bihon, Filipino style bbq (skewered meat), deep fried fish (I think it's bangus). Aside from the lechon, I've only tried the Filipino bbq, but each time it was made to order so it was freshly grilled (although I have seen them on the trays the odd time). The bbq was pretty good, better than some of the ones I've had at parties. I think they were $1.50 a stick.

[atomeyes]

Sticky ribs - Foxley - I could go there, order 3 orders to myself and eat them in 5 minutes.
a fresh-from-the-fryer tempura chicken leg at Yung Sing Pastry, chased by a hot sesame ball.
smoked meat tartare - Black Hoof
Links and Beans - Hoof Cafe (with their crepes being a close 2nd)
Chicken gyro - Folia Grill (I've eaten two in 10 minutes. There is no "off" switch when you eat it)
Ribs or fresh-off-the-smoker-and-without-sauce chicken wings - Buster Rhinos

there is likely more, but that's my starting list.

-----
Yung Sing Pastry
22 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T, CA

Foxley
207 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J2Z8, CA

Buster Rhino's
2001 Thickson Rd S, Whitby, ON L1N, CA

The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

Folia Grill
1031 Pape Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 3V9, CA

[taterbrandy]

The Brisket Sandwich I had yesterday at Barque .

[fickle]

Pumpkin muffin with foie gras at Canoe and the mayan hot chocolate shot at SOMA.

[Charles Yu]

Wild Blueberries Clafouti from Rahier. Amazing!
For some unknown reason, they are no longer making them even though the berries are in season!! :(

-----
Rahier
1586 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G, CA

Clafouti
915 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[kagemusha49]

Curly fries at an unknown street vendor. Let me explain, I volunteered to sell concession tickets for a street fair and we had darn near freezing rain. After 3 hours standing in this I grabbed some curly fries and they tasted like the most wonderful thing ever.

[Mike from Hamilton]

The number one best thing I have ever eaten in Toronto was:

Perigee's Foie Gras Cheesecake with parmesan cheese crust.

Thin sliver (about the width of a cigarette at it's widest) offered by Pat Riley to my dining mate and I as a taste of pure decadence in between courses. It was crazy rich and good.

[edfs72]

Went to Zen for the first time and had the sushi omakase. It was excellent but I had a "holy crap" moment when I ate the toro and scallop sushi. The black cod appetizer was amazing as well. Definitely going back again. I was pretty sad when they stopped giving us food!

[ctl98]

Zen is always solid and I've had more than a few "holy crap" moments there! :-) Glad you enjoyed yourself!

[haggisdragon]

Its difficult for me to remember the really worthy dishes. But one that comes to mind is the smoked beef tartar at Black Hoof. That blew my head off.

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The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[cynalan]

Although not Toront, but it is GTA, my personal fave is a seared foie gras at Blacktree in Burlington. It was served with cherry, port wine reduction... absolutely to die for and the best foie gras I've ever had.

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Blacktree
3029 New St, Burlington, ON L7N, CA

[Otonabee]

Just a few... There are others of that I am sure

Ice Cream from Ed's (toss up between the Roast Marshmallow, Milk Chocolate and Strawberry!) matched with the hot fudge sauce... divine!

Margherita Pizza from Queen Margherita Pizza (the first time I ate it at least..)

Spinach and Cheddar waffles from Lady Marmalade

Affogato from White Squirrel Coffee

The amazing sandwich from Porchetta

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Queen Margherita Pizza
1402 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4L, CA

[poumonsauvage]

All you can eat Korean BBQ in Market Village. Since it was Sunday lunchtime in a Chinese mall, the Korean place was deserted because everyone else was having dim sum...

[muncher7]

Lamb merguese at Djerba la Douce. Actually, everything I've tried at that restaurant is a revelation, but the mergeuse stands out as a dish that I'll cross Toronto for.

http://djerba-la-douce.ca/

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Djerba la Douce
1475 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4J1N5, CA

[Jed Clampet]

How I miss New York Subway. The best hangover cure was always a small chicken burrito, extra hot. Yeah it's simple, but it was always messy, delicious, and comforting. I always felt better after one. I'm having serious burrito withdrawal.

Re-open!

-----
New York Subway
520 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V, CA

[Davedigger]

WHAT??? When did New York Subway close???

-----
New York Subway
520 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V, CA

[acd123]

Word on CH is that it is just closed for renovations.

[Davedigger]

Oh! Whew! Thanks for the update. :)

[lamaranthe]

Last September, Duck Confit at King Eddy. The traditional one. Absolutely fantastic.

[theshiz]

the bacon jam at niagara street cafe. or the lamb bacon. the ultimate compliment to a chef/restaurant is when you return for something because you are craving it. nic's bacon jam has acheived that.

[PoppiYYZ]

Heard about bacon jam on an Eat Street episode about a Seattle Food Truck (Skillet Street Food). They used it on their burgers and people were going nuts about it. How does Nic use his bacon jam ?

[theshiz]

first time i had it with french toast. rediculous. again on rosti potato. he is also making bacon from lamb belly from time to time.

[HouseSparrow]

Not from TO (Ottawa) but I travel there semi-often, and the first thing that comes to mind for me when I think of Toronto is the unforgettable curry at The Host resto in the Yorkville area. Amazing. Puts any Indian resto we have here to shame.

[PoppiYYZ]

In addition to the restaurant scene, are there any products that fall into this category ?

Personally, I think we have some of the best cheddar in the world, and when the Niagara peaches start coming in, heaven...

[RogerDoger]

Chili Chicken from the Green Garden Restaurant on Dundas by Bay
Blackened Chicken with Raspberry Sauce at Living Well on Yonge

[MeMeMe]

I have to say I still miss the Orange Beef from the now closed Peter's Chung King. I loved that dish.

[petek]

How about the orange beef from Paul's Deep Sea Shantung(many,many moons ago..)

[TorontoTuna]

Great memories of Paul's...across from the nut house on Queen Orange shrimp there was best dish I've ever had in Toronto...Paul was a bit of a nut himself...the foyer was filled with hard cover novels..for the reading pleasure of those waiting for a table.

[petek]

"Paul was a bit of a nut himself..."

Q- "How hot is this dish Paul?"A- "Bloody hot!"....

Best szechuan ever!!
I'd only been to the place on Dundas,and then he moved into that huge building on Spadina,and the rest is,how they say, history..

[biggreenmatt]

Best sandwich would be the Cubano at Delux- the perfect combination of sweet, sour, crunchy, soft, savoury and hot. My first Cubano was a half scarfed from my mother-in-law's leftover portion- it was so good that I (nicely) yelled at the waiter for letting me order something else!

Caplansky's tongue sandwich would rate a close second in the sandwich category.

-----
Delux
92 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J2Z4, CA

Caplansky's
356 College Street, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[pearlD]

Steak Tartare at Pastis my number one choice,
Steak Tartare at Bistro 990 my second choice

Oxtail Dinner from Albert's ...better by far than any I have had in Jamaica and that's over the last 30 years!!!

[smalltwn]

Can't help but notice the number of high-end items. How about some not so fancy food. For me it was the first time I ever ate a roti. It was about 20 yrs ago at Caribana. Food was never the same for me after that.

[RotaryMobile]

Good suggestion!
The cheese panzerotti at Bitondo's Pizza on Clinton. $5.50 for a pound of grease and joy!

Chive pancakes at Chinese Traditional Bun with the chili, vinegar soy sauce. Mmm!

Crispy chicken tacos at Tacos El Asador!

-----
Chinese Traditional Buns
536 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T, CA

Tacos El Asador
690 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G1L2, CA

Bitondo
11 Clinton St, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[justsayn]

SO AWESOME - cheese panzerotti at Bitondo's Pizza on Clinton

-----
Bitondo
11 Clinton St, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[abigllama]

4th love for Bitondo's cheese panzerotti. Just greasy enough but not disgustingly so - perfect.

-----
Bitondo
11 Clinton St, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[Pincus]

It's beautiful. A work of ooey genius.

[TheDewster]

Tacos at Eltrompo in kensington market.

[Pincus]

I will add to the chorus of love for the cheese panzerotti at Bitondo's.

Also the eggplant and meatball sandwiches from Quattro Ragazze. I don't like the others there as much, but those two will always be part of my memory.

Pizza from Danforth Pizza House.

[CeeQueue]

Buster Rhino's brisket sandwich. Caplansky's fries.

[Benniep]

Same, first time i ever ate a roti was at Gandhi maybe 10 years ago, i believe it was spinach and potato. I would still put their roti at the top of my list, even if i only eat it once a year.

[Pincus]

Khao Soi noodles at Sukhothai
Tasting menu at Sushi Kaji
Pressed grilled fowl at Zucca
Razor clams at New Sky Restaurant

[Snarf]

Calamari at Joso's. Best in the city by a significant distance.
Mayan hot chocolate at Soma.
Lentil soup at Debu, lovely flavours, with spices freshly roasted and added as aromatics before serving.
Octopus ceviche at Milagro.

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Joso's
202 Davenport Rd, Toronto, ON M5R1J2, CA

[table4onthefly]

I've got a ton, but if I had to narrow it down to 3, it would be:

BBQ Ribs and Smoked Mayo (Hoof Cafe RIP)

Burrata and Grapes (Campagnolo) *this one is bittersweet because it's so good, but I kick myself for not having thought of such a simple dish myself...

Cervello (Buca)

[billbarilko]

great topic!

I'll name a few past and present:

The veal sandich at California's is amazing (note, I only eat them 2 or 3 times a year)

Rib-eye from Cumbrae's on my own BBQ!

Past - the Black 'Cod' on the black rocks and the Japanese steak on the bone marrow at Rain - used to go there a lot and was hurt when it closed down (someone prob has a better descriptor than I of those dishes).

potential past - The mushroom/truffle soup and Caribou at Pangea - I have not been in a while and curious if anyone has tried recently?

Back-Bacon Sandwich at Carousel at St. Lawrence Mkt.

The duck and butternut squash crespelle (sp) at the Nose (Gio's)...I have followed him/them from the beach to Y&E to current locale (I used to enjoy 5 doors North as well...anyone ever try that spin off from Gio's ? )

Cafe - any place that serves black cat espresso beans from Intelligentsia in Chicago. (The one and The Only on Danforth and Donlands - I buy my esspresso beans there)...and there is a place on Bathhurst west also that uses this bean but can't recall the name...anyone know any other spots that sell Black Cat?

and for desert...Ed's ice cream in the beach!

Ciao, BB

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Cumbrae's
481 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

[SpiceMustFlow]

Manic Coffee on College at Bathurst did sell Intelligentsia beans: not sure if they still do.

[justpete]

Black truffle parpadelle w/ butter sauce @ Splendido
60 day dry aged steak @ Splendido
Cherry compote buttermilk pancakes w/ almond butter @ Frank
Lobster Poutine @ Bymark
Fresh baked bread @ Marben
Table side Ceaser @ Jacobs & co

-----
Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA

Bymark
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, ON M5K 1J3, CA

Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

[PoppiYYZ]

Very nice arrangement... Especially the J&c Caesar...

[justsayn]

I need to try it again. I have had it twice and found it to be so lacking, so over-rated. Not garlicky, no depth of flavour and no awesome bits of nutty sweet parmesean. No awesome bits or hits of anything. harbour60 caesar for example is just so much better IMO.

[justpete]

That's the exact opposite of my experience. It's difficult to believe you're being serious... !

[JennaBean]

I agree! I LOVE that salad. It is ALMOST as good as mine ;-)

[justpete]

Thanks Poppi! I think I could go and on and on... Hehe. Most recently I'd add the Arincini @ Enotoca Sociale

[miranda]

Khao Soi noodles and warm tapioca-coconut dessert Khao San Road Miranda

-----
Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[damonster]

The one and only time i've been to Bymark. The nightly special was filet mignon with an oxtail ravioli. It was my first time eating oxtail, but that little side for the steak was the best thing I've had in the 10 years i've lived in Toronto. The entire meal was great but that piece of ravioli is the 'Best Thing I've Ever Eaten-Toronto'. I dream of braised beef tasting that good again.

-----
Bymark
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, ON M5K 1J3, CA

[PoppiYYZ]

Years and years ago, I had an amazing Osso bucco ravioli appetizer in Toronto and it has haunted me since. I thought the restaurant was called the Mercer Street Grill but that doesn't seem right (there was a black woman chef). Googled it and searched Chefdb and maybe it was Renée Foote.

Really would like to know for certain who she was.

[fleurdesal]

I'm pretty sure it was Renee Foote. She is awesome. She had a catering company...maybe still does.

[madamemeowmeow]

I had Chana and Poori at the Udupi Restaurant on Gerrard St. East, in Little India and it was out of this world! It is a vegetarian resto, so carnivores wouldn't like it especially if they can't give up meat for just one meal!

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Little India
255 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA

[KitchenVoodoo]

Some of their dishes are fine, but definetily not destination food.

[PoppiYYZ]

Nice collection !

Omei's lobster seems to be a reoccurring item. Royaljelly wrote about Omei's Live Alaskan King Crab four ways last winter and I can't get it out of my mind ! Gotta try that this coming season.

[skylineR33]

From my experience, the Live Alaskan King Crab at Omei is not as good as the lobster and it is much more expensive ! Lobster is the way to go at Omei.

[Charles Yu]

I totally concur! Not worth the additional $10+ per pound they charge for the beast.. For the price difference, I would go order a Geoduck clam sashimi on top of the Lobster!

[PoppiYYZ]

You both are so fortunate to have tried both ! But Lobster it is.

PS I once had fresh King Crab in Vancouver and it ruined the frozen version for me...

[Charles Yu]

Years ago, the oil company I worked for took in 1 ton of live King Crab in Anchorage for its Oil platforms before heading into the Beaufort Sea. We've got a chance of cooking a few live ones in an oil barrel of seawater on the Heli-deck. Great with beer! Ha!

BTW, unlike the stingy sizes usually found in restaurants, the ones we had were HUGE 10+ pounders!

Yup! Nothing beats live King Crab!!

[tjr]

This is the greatest Charles Yu story I've ever read.

[Charles Yu]

Apparently, it was 2 tons! Not one!!

[jmarcroyal]

let me guess, you drink Dos Equis?

:)

[Charles Yu]

Sorry,chowfriend. I'm more a wine drinker than a beer drinker and definitely not 'interesting'! Just an avid foodie, thats all!

[dubchild]

smoked salmon - Hiro Sushi
braised beef short rib with oranges and frisee and pecan salad - George
cocoa dusted foie gras amuse - Susur
doughnuts - Earth (Bloorwest)
porcini risotto - Bistro Thuet
Khao Soi and Masaman - Khao San Road
Apple tarte tatin - Frank AGO
Spanish Fries - Origin
Charcuterie - Cava
Lamb Brains wrapped in proscuitto - Buca
Pasta Carbonara - Il Mulino/Carisma
Corned Beef - Marben
Gnudi - Grace
Black Beans - Frida
Lobster Bisque, Beef Consomme, Roasted Pork, and Foie Gras Strudel - Eigensinn Farm (I know, not in Toronto)
Beef Tongue - Black Hoof

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Thuet
609 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V1M5, CA

Cava
1560 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4T 2S9, CA

Susur
601 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V1M5, CA

Marben
488 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1E5, CA

Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA

The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[RogerDoger]

But the question was what was the "best thing" not your best 20 things you have every eaten.. What would your number one be if someone said you could only eat one of these again...

[dubchild]

I misread the post. I took it to mean which dishes have set the standard by which I measure others or similar examples. Tough to narrow it down. I want to say Stadtlander's pork but I guess that's not in Toronto. I'm tempted to say either Hiro's smoked salmon or the Apple tatin at Frank AGO because I can measure them against so many examples. I'll go with Hiro's salmon.

[PoppiYYZ]

No problems on the multiple items dudhild. I fear I also have multiple "bests" each falling into a different category. The goal here is to find ALL the bests in TO !

[missmu]

I second the doughnut at Earth Bloor West.

[Splendid Wine Snob]

David Lee's squab

[Charles Yu]

Like the title - 'ever ATE'!
'Cos almost all the best tasting things I've eaten in Toronto are 'NO LONGER AVAILABLE'! Sigh!!
They include:
Prawns and potatoes in black truffle sauce ( JOV Bistro )
Sauteed Primini veal liver ( Il Post Nuovo, Yorkville )
My first David Lee's Tasting Menu ( old Splendido )

At least a couple dishes are still available
Venison steak with Bordelaise sauce ( Scaramouche )
Grilled calves liver with lardon and red wine reduction ( Pastis)
House special stirred fry lobster ( O'Mei )

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Splendido
88 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1G5, CA

[bytepusher]

I miss JOV Bistro too

The veal liver you refer to would have been provimi veal, not primini and don't be confused into thinking it's some Italian term, it's an abbreviation for Protien/Vitamins/Minerals and it's the term for the milk replacement mix that used to be fed to calves to produce white veal. Production of white veal was a cruelty horror show and it's probably a good thing that nobody in Canada (or at least Ontario) is producing this product any more.

[wherejessate]

Eggs Tommy at Stockyards - deep fried poached eggs with house cured andouille, butter poached shrimp, on buttermilk biscuits smothered with hollandaise... amazing!

Eggplant parmesan at Buca - another favourite!

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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA

[ctl98]

Great topic! I'm sure more things will come to me, but off the top if my head

1. Pancakes with hay ham - Hoof Cafe (among many other things!)
2. 4 way lobster - Omei
3. Anago, amaebi, and toro sushi, and the Spider roll - Zen
4. Duck salad - Nota Bene
5. Pimento goat cheese spread - Beast
6. Cheeseburger - Burger's Priest
7. Freshly cooked fries - Jamie Kennedy
8. Fried chicken - Max's of Manila (although I may be biased about this)
9. Condensed milk toast - Go for Tea
10. Mieng Kum - Linda
11. Vanilla Bean Latte - Thor Espresso Bar
12. The entire tasting menu - Sushi Kaji
13. Caesar salad with Spanish anchovies - Jacob's
14. Papardelle with giblet ragu (now off the menu) - Black Hoof

[canadianbeaver]

Agree about Sushi Kaji. Magical. Also the chicken and lobster pot pie at Canoe blew my socks off.

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Sushi Kaji
860 The Queensway, Toronto, ON M8Z1N7, CA

[shekamoo]

say more about 8 please, I hate to be missing out on good fried chicken

[ctl98]

Hello, fellow Zen fan :-) Max's fried chicken is very different from the fried chicken that everyone is used to. First, it is NOT breaded, at all. The chicken is allegedly steamed then fried which results in very tender chicken with crisp thin skin. It's dipped in "banana sauce" or worcestershire or a combination of both (my preference, with a bit of tabasco) and it's eaten with rice...garlic rice is what I eat it with. I grew up with this food so when they came to Toronto, I was a very happy camper. The line-ups get crazy and the service can be spotty when they're packed but the fried chicken keeps me coming back :) It's at Dufferin and Steeles, BTW.

[shekamoo]

would definitely try it out, sounds awesome.

Seiichi-San Rules...

[ctl98]

Lol. Love it!

[BamiaWruz]

Yes to the condensed milk toast!!! LOVE IT

[KitchenVoodoo]

Second the crispy duck salad at Nota Bene - it's the only reason I go there.
And JK fries.
Much to discover based on you list....

[skylineR33]

The 21 lbs Lobster 5 ways at Omei Seafood, with the 2 lobsters in the following picture.

[FrankD]

Second this.

Never seen anything like it in all my travels in Asia.

[skylineR33]

The preparation methods of the 4-5 ways at Omei are nothing new (although I think Omei can master all 4 or 5 ways preparation in Cantonese cooking), it just that they use the same lobster to do all of it is hard to find somewhere else. In Asia, there are more variety of lobster to choose from but usually it is not that large in size.

[junkie]

Black Hoof's cheese/charcuterie board + st.john's sourdough bread + wine combo (best things i've eaten together)

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The Black Hoof
928 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[junkie]

oops i think it was thuet's bread

[currycue]

Beef Masaman curry at Khao San Road / Sukhothai

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Sukhothai
274 Parliament St, Toronto, ON M5A, CA

Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[edfs72]

I remember being blown away by the Khao Soi noodles at Khao San Road. GF and I wanted to lick the bowl at the end!

Mac & Cheese w/Ham at Gabardine was the best I ever had in TO (altho I admit I don't order Mac & Cheese much when I go out)

Foie gras & rabbit at George

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Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[kenjiro]

Another vote for Beef Masaman curry at Khao San Road

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Khao San Road
326 Adelaide St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1P7, CA

[mstacey42]

Pancakes with hay ham at Hoof Cafe (RIP)

Chicken and Waffles at Stockyards (can't get that spicy syrup off my mind...too much soicy syrup, though.)

double cheeseburger at burger's priest.

Breakfast pocket at Auntie's and Uncles.

rabbit ravioli with walnut cream sauce at Gianni e Maria (RIP)

Tori Kara Age at Guu

ham and cheese croissants at Manic Coffee (which I believe are from Wanda's but I don't know if Wanda's sells the ham/cheese version).

Chilean salad at Jumbo Empanadas.

Hiyashi Chuka at Tokyo Grill

Baked mini puff pastry filled with cured ham, shrimp & pork at Lai Wah Heen

Pumpkin Dumpling at Yang's.

Veal Sandwich from California Sandwiches.

BLT sandwich from Negroni (whatever the new name is?)

Jame Kennedy's Fries

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Lai Wah Heen
108 Chestnut St, Toronto, ON M5G 1R3, CA

Jumbo Empanadas
245 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T2L8, CA

Tokyo Grill
582 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4Y1Z3, CA

Guu
398 Church Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2A2, CA

[TheDewster]

Second the veal from california sandwiches

[evansl]

Based on these comments, I gave the veal sandwich a try.

You're kidding right? A piece of veal so thin that you can read throught surrounded by a fried batter. Edible, but that's about all.

[Davedigger]

Which location? The original and the one on the Queensway are quite generous with the veal.

[KitchenVoodoo]

Claremont street location - hot veal sandwich fully loaded - that's what I'll ask for as my last meal when I'm outta time on death row!

[pnutbutta]

Sticky Toffee Pudding at Starfish.

[LearningHow]

I would have to say that it was the Sticky Toffee Pudding at Beast.

[jamesm]

That sticly toffee pudding is insane.

[justpete]

Sounds like I have a date!

[jamesm]

I would have to give itmore thought but the first thing that came to mind was the Hoof's tongue sandwich.

[RotaryMobile]

I feel the same, but with the suckling pig eggs benny on a chedder biscuit. Lordy!

[atomeyes]

i'd suggest the Hoof Cafe's version was better

[jamesm]

Actually that was my mistake -- I did mean Hoof Cafes tongue sandwich.